New burgh cash payment facilities to be explored

Published:09:57Thursday 17 September 2015

Angus Council is exploring new burgh cash payment facilities that will extend customer options.

Customers can currently pay council tax, rent and other council services, in cash at seven local ACCESS offices. The alternative cash payment options under consideration include post offices or Paypoint facilities in local shops and other premises).

The proposed change is another opportunity for the council to provide services in more cost-effective and efficient ways, while improving customer choice.

Councillor Rob Murray, who leads the council’s Transforming Angus change programme, welcomed the proposed shift saying: “I can reassure customers that we will still have cash payment facilities in every Angus burgh. But cash collection through our local offices is a very expensive ways of providing that, in terms of the cost of the buildings and the security needed.

“By shifting payment facilities to other local premises, such as burgh shops or post offices, customers will have more local payment points with more convenient opening hours. This will also benefit those local businesses.”

Proposals for alternative cash payment facilities will be considered by the council in due course. Until then there will be no change to current payment arrangements.

Councillor Murray said it was a good time to make the move to alternative payment facilities. He said: “Our burgh libraries will soon be providing an integrated library and customer contact service. The phased roll out of that is due to start next year.

“These combined changes will extend customer options and will be a much more cost-effective way of providing the services than we have currently.”

When new burgh payment and integrated library and customer contact services are in place, separate ACCESS offices will no longer be needed. These premises will be considered as part of the council’s ongoing property rationalisation review.